I am lucky enough to be a California Certified Shorthand Reporter which allows me to report throughout the state, INCLUDING SAN FRANCISCO. Sometimes I look at my CA CSR as a license to travel. I love adventure, and traveling to different cities to work is super fun.

If you ask most people on the planet if they like San Francisco, the answer is ‘Yes.” There is fantastic shopping, exotic restaurants, and visually the city is interesting everywhere you look.

If I am working on a case that warrants travel (great/fun client, realtime, rough drafts, and interesting subject matter) I will assign myself to that job. Southwest Airlines has inexpensive flights to San Francisco and Oakland all day long, and now I have mastered taking BART from SFO to the financial district. The key to success using BART is to know which station to get off at and don’t wait too long to get off of your seat, collect your gear, and make way for the door. The doors open and close FAST. (One time I ended up in Oakland by accident and had to go back. It was embarrassing.)

Whenever I court report in San Francisco I wear black. The sharp, professional-looking women walking up and down Montgomery and Battery wear black pantsuits, black shoes, and have a big black bag. Their clothing is very tailored and fit beautifully. (I want to fit in and not look like a San Diegan just off the train.)

Rule: Never get into a city on the day of a deposition. It is too stressful with factors such as weather, traffic or weird situations arising that might make me late for my deposition. It is best to arrive the night before. Since I am carrying so much court reporting gear, I don’t pack much in the way of personal items. What you see when I get off the plane is what you get at the deposition.

Tully’s Coffee in the Embarcadero 2 building is where I go before my job. I sip coffee, look at my iPad and get the San Franciscan feeling flowing through my body. Everyone at Tully’s looks smart and interesting. I bet they have exciting lives.

For larger cases, I will go in the day before and do my setup. I leave my machine and most of my equipment, only carrying my laptop away from the conference room. I check the deposition room for a Polycom if we are going to be having people call in, look for connectivity so that I can be online, and if we are streaming, I check firewalls. When I am able to set up the day before and check out the room, I always feel more confident the morning of the deposition. Any problems have been troubleshot.

I enjoy writing, so being at a deposition is kind of fun for me. If I am lucky enough to be in a conference room with big picture windows overlooking the famous San Francisco Bay, I will spend my day looking at Angel Island wondering if they are really going to build a movie studio there or if it is just rumor. I heard George Lucas bought it. Then I will focus on Alcatraz and imagine escaping and having to swim to shore – hoping not to get caught.

When it is time to go home to San Diego, I get back on the BART, head for the end of the line (SFO), and think to myself, “I am so happy I get to be a court reporter and have an interesting, exciting life.” Even if it is just for one or two days, I love being a part of the City – SAN FRANCISCO.